Family of Fugitives
by abbiethehufflepuff
Summary: (AU - Fem!Regulus, Fem!Regulus lives) Regina Black discovered the Dark Lord's secret. And she lived to tell it to others. However, if she wants to stay alive, she needs to hide until the Horcrux can be destroyed. Or Voldemort is destroyed. Whichever comes first. **Hiatus**
1. Making Herself Disappear

_Unknown Location, 1979_

Regina Black ran as fast as she could as her legs became weaker and weaker. Just a little farther. _Just a little farther_ , a voice in her head told her. That voice sounded familiar, but Regina was too tired and in too much pain to try and figure out who it belonged to.

 _Come on, Gigi. Go!_

The nickname gave it away. Gigi was Sirius' nickname for her from when they were kids. Why was she hearing his voice _now_? She didn't need the extra emotional baggage of thinking about him right now.

Regina stopped for a moment to catch her breath, the locket hanging limply around her wrist. _Can I really do this?,_ she thought. Could and seventeen year old help take down the Dark Lord? The most powerful evil wizard of her generation? She thought about the outrage from her family if it happened.

She thought about how Sirius would react. How was Sirius doing now, anyway?

 _No_ , she interrupted her thoughts. _Stop thinking about him. About anything. Keep moving. Have to….keep...moving…_

Somehow, Regina made it to the entrance of the cavern and was able to get out. Also unbelievably, she was able to apparate without splinching herself too badly to Number 12, Grimmauld Place.

"K-Kreacher!", Regina coughed as she practically fell through the door.

The Blacks' house elf appeared with a _pop_ in front of her. "Miss Regina cal-Miss Regina is hurt?"

"Y-yes, Kreacher I am", Regina breathed, collapsing onto the floor. "Kreacher, find Severus Snape and tell him to come here. I need him right now."

"Yes, Miss Regina." And he was gone again, leaving the young woman breathing heavily on the floor of the kitchen.

Kreacher reappeared a few minutes later, a very confused Severus Snape with him.

"Regina!", Snape exclaimed, kneeling beside her. The two of them had never really been friends, but they did care for each other-if only a bit.

"What happened?", he asked.

Regina wordlessly held up the locket. "D-dark Lord's secret. H-horcrux."

Severus' eyes widened. "Horcrux? A piece of his soul? You found it?"

Regina nodded weakly.

"K-Kreacher, destroy this. An don't ever tell _anyone_ -especially other family members-about this. Okay?"

"Yes, Miss Regina." _Pop_. He was gone once more.

Regina started coughing violently, her body convulsing. Severus helped her stand. She leaned against him. "What happens now?", he asked. "What was your plan?"

"I n-need to hide."

"Where? _Here?_ Where all of your relatives can find you? Is your mother here?"

"Where else?"

Severus bit his lip. He really didn't want to do what he was about to offer her. She may have wanted a way to get out of the Dark Lord's grasp, but he wasn't so sure about it. Also, if anyone found out about what she had done, and the Severus had _helped her_ get away with it….

Severus didn't want to think about what would happen.

"I'll let you stay with me", he finally said. "No one knows where I live, anyway. If anyone ever finds me, we can hide you or put some glamors on you."

Regina gave him the best half-smirk she could muster.

"I d-didn't know you were able to be so n-nice, Sev", she said.

Severus rolled his eyes and basically carried her to the front door.

"Don't make me regret this, Black", he said, but there was no real bite to his words.

 _Godric's Hollow, 1979-A few weeks later_

"...foot? _Padfoot._ "

"Hm?", Sirius said, shaking himself a bit.

"I asked you if you were alright", James Potter asked worriedly. "But I think I already have my answer."

"No, no, I'm fine", Sirius said unconvincingly, staring at the parchment in his hands. It was from his cousin Andromeda, who had heard from her sister Narcissa that Regina had died.

"It's okay if you're not alright, Sirius", Remus said, placing a hand on his best friend's shoulder. "I certainly wouldn't be in this situation."

Sirius silently reread the letter.

 _Sirius,_

 _I am sorry I haven't written to you in a while, and I wish this letter came under better circumstances._

 _I just received a letter from Narcissa telling me that Regina has passed away. No one knows how, or where her body is, but the Dark Lord himself has apparently confirmed that she is dead._

 _I know you two weren't close, Sirius, but I am very sorry for your loss. I know that I would be devastated if I lost one of my sisters. Even Bella._

 _Owl me if you need anything,_

 _Andy._

 _P.S. Dora wants you to come over again soon, she misses you._

"The Dark Lord himself", Sirius repeated out loud.

"What?", Peter squeaked.

"Andy says that apparently You-Know-Who has personally confirmed that Regina is...is gone."

Lily, who had been listening from the kitchen, gasped, her eyes filled with tears.

"Do you think that means…", Peter said, grunting as Remus elbowed him. The Animagus shrank under the glare the werewolf gave him.

"I don't know what it means", Sirius sighed, folding up the letter and putting it in his pocket. He had a horrible feeling that he did know what it meant. "I'm gonna head home. I'll see you all later."

Everyone was silent as Sirius left.


	2. The Boy

_Spinner's End, January 1980_

Severus was in one of his famous moods. Again.

At this point, Regina was used to them and stopped trying to make him feel better. She had learned that instead of trying to help him or do nice things for him, the best way to thank the Potions Master for his help was to simply be quiet. And that's what she was when he came home in a panic that broke through his stoic demeanor.

"What's going on?", Regina asked nervously as Severus walked past her to the kitchen. She stood up from the couch and hurried to follow him.

"You look like something really bad has happened", she said as she approached him. "Please tell me something really bad has _not_ happened."

"He's going after Lily", Severus whispered.

"Who? The Dark Lord?"

He nodded.

"Why is he going after Lily?"

"Her son", Severus said a bit louder. "There is a prophecy about how the Dark Lord will be defeated. A boy born at the end of July to parents who have defied the Dark Lord three times."

"That's...not as specific as I thought it would be."

"It could be two", Severus continued as if she hadn't spoken. He did that a lot. "Either Lily and Potter, or Frank and Alice Longbottom."

"Okay, so he could go after the Longbottoms", Regina said. "That's a small postive, right?"

"He thinks it's Lily's baby." Regina was startled to see that Severus was close to tears. Severus Snape _never_ cried. "There's nothing I can do to convince him otherwise."

"But he wants the baby", Regina pointed out, trying to sound hopeful. "Maybe he'll let Lily go and-"

"I know her", Severus interrupted her sharply. "She would never, _never_ allow him to hurt someone she loves. Especially her child. I know she wouldn't. Even if given the chance to give the baby up, she won't do it. I guarantee that."

Regina didn't know what to say. There was nothing _to_ say. She silently put her hand on his shoulder as tears began falling down his face. Regina didn't know much about Snape's past with Lily Evans-Potter, but she knew that Lily had cut him out of her life after he called her a Mudblood. Snape never stopped loving her, though. Regina knew that he was in love with Lily. For a man who prided himself on being hard to read, it was obvious that he was in actual, physical pain at that moment.

Regina wished she could do or say something that would help. Instead, she left him alone and went to the spare bedroom that had become hers since she had been staying there.

When Severus and Regina were having dinner that night, Regina had an idea.

"What if he is stopped before the baby is born."

Severus looked up at her, his eyebrows raised. "That's not possible, Black. You know that."

"Actually, it could be", Regina said. "Kreacher is still working on destroying the locket. If he's able to-"

"Your family's elf has had that thing for almost a year and has had no luck. For all we know, your mother has probably found it and told your cousins."

"My mother knows nothing about it", Regina said for what felt like the millionth time since she had been staying with him. "If she _did_ find it, Merlin forbid, she would probably just assume that it was something of mine or Sirius' and give it back to Kreacher to keep."

"Her orders outweigh yours in Kreacher's mind."

"Yes, I am aware."

"Suppose she tells him to throw it out?", Severus suggested. "If she thinks it was your brother's, she definitely won't want it in her home."

Regina nodded slowly. He did have a point, as much as she hated to admit it. Hopefully Kreacher had done a good enough job of hiding the locket.

 _October 31, 1981_

Regina woke in the middle of the night after hearing the front door slam. She got out of bed and put her robe on before hurrying to the kitchen. Severus was sitting at the table, his head resting on his arms, his shoulders shaking with sobs.

Regina sat next to him and they sat there in silence for what felt like hours. She knew what had happened.

"I'm so sorry", she whispered eventually. "I thought-I thought I had found a way to stop him, Severus, but...Ugh, I don't know why I thought that. I'm so sorry, Severus."

Severus lifted his head and looked at her, his dark eyes red-rimmed.

"Your brother was their Secret Keeper."

Regina's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"He betrayed them", he continued angrily. "He's probably been planning this all along."

"You're saying that Sirius is a Death Eater."

"How else- _why_ else would he have done this?"

"Do you realize how ridiculous that is?", Regina laughed bitterly, sounding scarily like Bellatrix. "Sirius Black. A Death Eater. Severus, don't you think I'd know about that?"

"How else do you explain this, Regina?", Severus yelled, standing up quickly and glaring down at her. Regina shrank. He never called her by her first name. "He was their Secret Keeper. He told the Dark Lord. Lily is _dead_ , Regina! Please, tell me your explanation."

"How do we know that Sirius was their Secret Keeper?", Regina countered. "Isn't it supposed to be, you know, a secret?"

Severus didn't respond. He left her alone in the kitchen.

Regina refused to believe it. Sure, it had years since she had spoken to her brother, but there was one thing that would always be true about him.

Sirius Orion Black was not, and could never be, a Death Eater.


	3. Fugitive Visiting Fugitive

**AN: Just wanted to thank everyone who has favorited & followed this story! I really appreciate it and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 _Azkaban, November 6, 1981_

As Regina was led into Azkaban by an Auror, she felt the undeniable chill of Dementors fill her. This place truly was a torture chamber.

"Alright, Ms. Farrell", the Auror said as he led Regina-heavily disguised and going by the name Carrie Farrell-into a wide, empty room. In the middle of the room was a chair covered with heavy chains. "Other guards will be bringing him in a moment. Are you sure you want to be alone with him?"

"I will take my chances, thank you."

"Alright", the auror shrugged. "I'll be right outside. Shout if you need me."

Regina thanked him again and he left her alone in the dark room. A few moments later, three aurors half-carried a struggling Sirius Black into the room, guiding him into the chair and chaining him up.

"Thank you", Regina said after she cleared her throat. "You may leave us."

"Ma'am, I don't think-"

"Please", Regina said louder. The three guards shrugged, as the first did, and left Regina alone with the prisoner.

"Who are you?", Sirius asked once the guards were gone.

"Not who I told the guards I am", Regina replied simply as she began to pace around the room.

"Then who are you _really?"_

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me."

Regina stopped pacing and walked over to him. She knelt in front of him and looked up into his eyes. They had the same dark eyes that most members of the Black family shared. When she and Severus were putting the glamor charms on her, she elected to keep her eye color unchanged.

"Sirius", she whispered. "I know you didn't do it."

Sirius looked down at her curiously. "How-?"

"I wish I could tell you who I am", Regina said, using everything in her to fight back tears. "But it's not safe. For me, for you, for anyone."

"Who am I gonna tell?", Sirius said with a wry smile. "I think you can trust me."

"Sirius, it's me. It's Gigi."

Sirius' eyes flashed. "My sister died two years ago. How _dare_ you-"

"I told you you wouldn't believe me", Regina said, tears finally falling. "It is really me, Sirius. I've been hiding this whole time, I never actually died. I just had to...disappear."

Sirius shook his head. "You're sick. Whoever sent you is disgusting. So you have no actual connection to Lily's family? You have no control over her will, or her parents' will?"

Regina had almost forgotten her cover story. She told the Ministry that she was a distant, far removed cousin of Lily's; a squib born to a Muggle and wizard.

"No, I don't, Sirius", Regina said quietly. "I'm sorry. I just needed to see you again, and I needed to tell you that I know you didn't do this. I know you'd never betray James, and I know that you would never be a Death Eater. Ever."

"You need to leave", came Sirius' monotone reply. Regina's heart shattered when she heard it. That was the tone he had reserved for speaking to their parents when they were growing up. No emotion. No warmth. No feeling at all.

"I will", Regina said. Before she opened the door, she turned around and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. Mother passed away a few months ago. I didn't know if you had heard."

There was no response. Regina walked as fast as she could through the prison, the presence of dementors only adding to the sadness that was overtaking her. She ignored the guards and the aurors asking if she needed an escort.

The tears didn't fall again until Regina was in her bedroom at Spinner's End.


	4. Escaping Again

_Hogwarts, 1993_

"I just want to speak with him."

"For the last time, Regina, _no_ ", Severus said tiredly as he brewed potions for his seventh year classes. "It's too dangerous. We don't know how he'll react to you."

Regina had wanted to talk to Remus. About what, she wasn't exactly sure, but she knew she wanted to tell him that Sirius was innocent. As if he would take the word of a Death Eater who had been presumed dead for over fourteen years. But there was still something telling her that she should at least try to talk to him.

"Speaking of Lupin", Severus said after a few moments. "I need to take this Wolfsbane potion to him." Before he left, he turned to her and firmly said, "Stay here."

Regina sighed. It was amazing that living with Snape hadn't driven her completely mad yet. She was sure it wouldn't take much longer for her to snap.

So, she spent the rest of that day in Snape's quarters, as she did whenever she got so sick of Spinner's End that she needed to get out. It felt good being back at Hogwarts, even if Regina couldn't go anywhere.

Later that evening, Snape's patronus appeared to her.

"Sirius is on the grounds", the silver doe replayed his voice, "He is in the Shrieking Shack with Lupin. I am going there now. _Stay there_."

Regina stood up quickly and threw the book she was reading onto the chair she had just vacated. _Stay there._ Bloody likely, Snape. Regina practically sprinted to the door, but stopped when her hand was on the doorknob.

Should she do this? What would it accomplish, _really_? Going to see SIrius again would be nice, but how would he react to seeing her? Not only had she been presumed dead for fourteen years, but Sirius had been imprisoned for almost as long. He'd think he was hallucinating. And Lupin...Regina couldn't even imagine what was going through Lupin's mind that night, without any help from her.

So, begrudgingly, Regina sat back down and tried to continue reading, with no success. She sighed and put the book down.

Snape returned nearly forty-five minutes after he left.

"What happened?", Regina demanded.

"Your belief that your brother is not a Death Eater was correct."

"Knew that already. _What happened?_ "

"Peter Pettigrew is still alive", Severus continued. "However, because Lupin failed to take the Wolfsbane potion this evening, he transformed and Pettigrew got away. Black was captured and has been detained in an unused classroom."

"Where?"

"Regina-"

"I'm not going to do anything", she promised. "I just want to see him. I won't talk to him, I won't try to get him out. Please, Severus, just tell me where he's being held."

Snape sighed and told her where Sirius was. After putting a few glamor charms on herself for safety, Regina ran out the door. There was no one around, but she was still careful to not run into anyone.

Finally, Regina arrived at the classroom Severus told her about. She slowly opened the door and looked inside.

Empty.

 _They must have already taken him,_ Regina thought sadly.

"I am afraid he isn't here", a voice behind her made her jump and turn around, her wand pointed at…

"Professor Dumbledore", she breathed with relief. "I'm sorry, you scared me."

"I see that, Miss Black."

Regina sputtered. "I-Professor, I'm sorry-"

Dumbledore held up a hand to silence her. "I know that it is you, Regina. And I am, in fact, quite pleased to see you. The news of your supposed death spread quickly all those years ago."

Regina didn't know what to say.

"I assume that you were looking for your brother?", the Headmaster asked.

"Yes, sir. I always knew that he was innocent, but now the Ministry-"

"I know that he is innocent as well, Regina. Which is why I am very happy to inform you that Sirius has escaped once more."

"What?", Regina asked. "How?"

"He had help", Dumbledore replied simply. "Now, I believe you should be going. We don't want anyone else to see you."

Regina nodded. "Right. Thank you so much, sir."

Dumbledore just smiled as the woman turned and walked away. He shook his head.

Albus had either taught or been the Headmaster when the majority of the Black family had been in school, but none of them consistently surprised him as much and Sirius and Regina did.

The two of them were very different, yet extremely similar all at once.


	5. The Order's Newest Member (Re-Posted!)

**AN: Sorry about the re-upload! I got a message shortly after posting this chapter about it not posting correctly. Hopefully it's fixed now! Enjoy!**

 _Number 12 Grimmauld Place, 1995_

Regina sighed as she and Severus stood outside her childhood home. She couldn't believe, after everything Sirius had been through, that he was forced to go back there. Regina couldn't believe that _she_ had to go back. At least she could leave, even if that meant going home with Snape.

"If you are trying to make us even more late for the meeting you are doing a very good job of it."

Regina glared back at Severus. Didn't he understand that this was hard for her?

She sighed and opened the door, motioning for Snape to go first. Something told Regina that certain members of the Order of the Phoenix wouldn't be that excited to see her.

"Oh, Professor Snape", a woman's voice said as Severus walked through the kitchen. "There you are. Everyone is already in the dining room, right through that door."

Severus nodded. "I have brought someone who I believe is of use with me tonight, I hope that is not an issue."

"It shouldn't be", the woman said. She turned and, when she saw Regina, smiled. It didn't reach her eyes. "Hello, dear. What is your name?"

"Regina. Regina Black."

"I'm Molly Weasley, it's wonderful to meet you. Are you by any chance-?"

"Took your time getting here, eh, Snape?"

Severus turned his head and sneered at whoever the voice belonged to. Regina fought the urge to turn and run away. She knew who said that. And she was questioning whether or not this was a good idea.

Mrs. Weasley quickly left them alone in the kitchen.

Sirius and Regina made eye contact. Snape left as well, but they didn't notice.

"Hi, Sirius."

Sirius took a few steps toward her. "Gigi? H-how...Is it really you?"

Regina nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to reach out to you. I've been hiding all this time, and-" She was cut off by her older brother slapping her.

She glared at him accusingly, her hand flying up to the assaulted area.

"I thought you were _dead_ ", Sirius said angrily. "For, how long, sixteen years?"

"I did try to talk to you, but you didn't believe me when I told you who I was!"

"When?"

"About a week into your stint in Azkaban", Regina replied. "Does the name Carrie Farrell mean anything to you? The relative of Lily's who-"

"Was in charge of her will", Sirius whispered. He did, in fact, remember that day. After she had left, Sirius had asked the guards who she was. Who she _really_ was. The guards just ignored him and told each other that the prisoner had already lost it.

"That really was you."

Regina nodded. "I told you that day that you wouldn't believe me. And I was right."

"Gigi…"

"Sirius, what's going on?", Remus Lupin said a bit impatiantly as he entered the room. "We're all waiting for-Regina?"

"Hi, Remus."

"But...How?"

"Long story", Regina sighed. "I'll tell you both later. Now, shouldn't we join the meeting?"

"You want to join the Order?", Sirius asked.

"Well, I can't exactly be a Death Eater anymore, so I might as well join."

"Why can't you?", Lupin asked.

Regina sighed again. "Alright, I guess I'm telling you now. You should probably tell everyone else to get started without you, this may take a while."

The three of them sat down at the kitchen table and Regina told them why she had to disappear, and where she had been hiding for the past sixteen years.

"I'm honestly surprised Severus and I haven't killed each other yet."

After she was finished, the two men were staring at her with wide eyes.

"So you were trying to get out?", Remus asked. "You didn't want to be a Death Eater anymore?"

"Correct. Once I discovered his secret, I did everything I could to find the Horcrux."

"Pardon my eavesdropping", Albus Dumbledore said as he joined them at the table. "But did I hear you correctly when you said that the Dark Lord has Horcruxes?"

"Yes", Regina replied. "As a matter of fact, that reminds me. Kreacher?"

The Blacks' house elf appeared in front of the table.

"Miss Regina has returned?"

"Hang on, Kreacher knew you were alive?", Sirius asked, glaring at the elf.

"Yes, but I also ordered him to never tell anyone." Regina turned to the elf. "Kreacher, do you remember the locket I gave you before I left?"

The elf nodded, then began to cry. "S-so sorry, Miss Regina. Kreacher couldn't destroy it! Kreacher did everything, but nothing worked!"

"Kreacher, enough", Regina said. The elf immediately stopped and looked up at her. Sirius shook his head.

"Bloody monster always liked you more than me."

"Kreacher", Regina said, ignoring her brother's comment. "I need you to bring the locket to me. Now."

"Yes, Miss Regina." _Pop_. He was gone.

"Tell me, Miss Black", Dumbledore said. "How did you discover that Horcrux?"

"A lot of research done in the restricted section at school", Regina replied. "I remembered him saying that he would live forever, and I never understood how he would do it. I mean, obviously no one lives forever. I was reading a book about dark magic and it said something about Horcruxes."

"I am quite sure there are no books in the Hogwarts library that go into detail about such dark margic."

"There aren't", Regina nodded. "However, there was a professor who told me about them."

"And who was that?"

"Slughorn."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at her. "Why did you go to Horace, and not to your Defence Against the Dark Arts professor?"

"I knew Slughorn would talk to me", Regina shrugged. "He always really liked me. And I also knew that he wouldn't tell anyone what I had asked him if I told him not to. Apparently he never did tell anyone. Thankfully."

Kreacher reappeared holding a locket in his hand. His head is bowed, and he seems to be crying.

"Kreacher?", Regina said gently. She stood up from her place at the table and knelt in front of the elf.

"Kreacher is sorry, Miss Regina."

"Kreacher…"

"Kreacher tried everything, Miss Regina!", Kreacher cried.

"I know, Kreacher, it's alright. Give me the locket and go back to cleaning the house."

Kreacher handed her the item and disappeared once more. Regina turned back to the table and held the locket out to Dumbledore. She shuddered.

"Ugh. This thing brings back memories."

Dumbledore gently took it from her and observed it.

"Thank you, Regina", the Headmaster said sincerely. "I will never be able to thank you enough for what you have done."

Regina nodded, not really listening, still eyeing the locket nervously.

"I shall be taking my leave now", Dumbledore said. "I will see you all at the next meeting."

Regina sat back down at the table and let out a relieved sigh.

"What did it remind you of?", Sirius asked softly.

"What?"

"You said the locket brought back memories."

"Oh", Regina shook her head. "Just of what I went through to get it. It was-it was awful."

Regina, Sirius, and Remus missed the entire Order meeting that night. They sat at the table, not speaking, for at least an hour and a half.


	6. The Plan

**AN: So sorry about the wait! I had some writer's block mixed with being distracted by other ideas.**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Number 12, Grimmauld Place, December 1995_

"Have you learned anything about the other Horcruxes?", Regina asked Dumbledore one night.

"Well, Severus and I believe that he used items from each of the Founders of Hogwarts", Dumbledore replied. "For example, the locket belonged to Salazar Slytherin."

"How do we know what the items are?", Remus asked. "Or where to find them?"

"That is the issue we are currently having", the Headmaster sighed. "We do not know where to look, or what we are looking for. We do believe, however, that he may have entrusted one of his followers with at least one of them."

"Who?", Regina asked.

"Bellatrix."

"Oh, of course. Do we know which one?"

"No."

"She's been in Azkaban almost longer than I was", Sirius chimed in. "Where could she have kept it? I'm sure Aurors raided her home."

"Maybe in her vault at Gringotts?", Regina guessed. "The only problem would be getting it out. We'd need her wand. There's also the fact that she's bloody insane and in Azkaban right now."

"Is there someone else in your family who could go?", Remus asked. "Obviously not either of you two, but maybe Andromeda? Would she be allowed in?"

"The only other option would be Narcissa", Regina sighed. "And we obviously can't tell her about this. I don't know if they'd let Andromeda in. Everyone heard about it when she was disowned."

"There's also the question of whether or not she'd want to do it", Sirius added. "I don't think she wants any part in this."

"What if you went?", Tonks offered from the other end of the table.

"I'm dead, remember?"

Tonks rolled her eyes. "Yeah, but you look a _lot_ like my mother. If we got you her wand, and maybe put a few charms on you, you could go in looking like her."

"You do realize how dangerous that would be", Dumbledore told Regina gravely. "If it is discovered that you are still alive, and are searching for Horcruxes…"

"Then I'm _actually_ dead", Regina said. "And so is Severus, because someone will find out that he's been hiding me."

"Severus could brew Polyjuice", Remus suggested.

"That would take too long", Regina said. "We need to do this quickly so no one will know that it hapened."

"You'll need to do a pretty good impression of Andy, too", Sirius reminded her.

"That will be the most difficult part", Regina said, then added with a wry smile, "I've been told I sound much more like Bella. Most offensive thing anyone has ever said to me."

Sirius snorted into his drink.

"So", Dumbledore said. "Are you willing to do this, Regina?"

"I kind of have to, don't I?"

"Alright. When shall we do it?"

 **AN: Sorry that it's super short, but I wanted to (finally) post a new chapter! I hope you enjoyed, and I will do my best to update again soon!**


	7. Executing The Plan (Reupload!)

**AN: Whoa, another update so soon?**

 **(You probably shouldn't get used to this) Enjoy!**

 _Gringotts Bank, December 1995_

After a great deal of second-guessing on the part of the entire Order, Regina-disguised as Andromeda-was walking into Gringotts to try and find the Horcrux.

 _How does Andromeda act?_ It had been quite a while since Regina had seen her cousin. Tonks had assured her that she was convincing, though. Poised, sophisticated, curt, but also friendly. Friendly- _er_ than the rest of their family, anyway.

"Ah, Mrs. Tonks", a goblin greeted her when she walked in. "What can we do for you today?"

"I need to go into my sister's vault."

"I am very sorry, Mrs. Tonks, but we will need Mrs. Malfoy's permission to allow you-"

"Not Narcissa", Regina cut him off. "Bellatrix."

The goblin paled considerably. "I do not believe Mrs. Lestrange would want you in her vault. No offense, Mrs. Tonks, but...well, you know."

"Yes, I do", Regina said, giving him a small, understanding smile. "However, I was thinking recently, and I believe my sister has something in her vault that belongs to me."

"I'm not sure if I would be allowed, Mrs. Tonks."

"It will be quick, I assure you."

The goblin grimaced, looking around, before he nodded. "Alright. Give me your wand, please."

Regina handed the goblin Andromeda's wand, wondering for a moment how Tonks got it from her. As far as she knew, Andromeda didn't know that she was still alive. The fewer people who know about Regina, the better.

"Alright", the goblin said again. "Follow me, please."

Regina walked behind the goblin as he led her to the Lestrange's vault. She had to contain her surprise when the vault opened. _Merlin, Bella. What do you do with all this?_

Besides the insane amounts of gold, there were small artifacts everywhere. Fantastic. Regina walked inside, scanning the walls and the tables for...something. She really wished Dumbledore had come with her (that wouldn't have been suspicious at all). She stopped when she felt something. Something….pulling at her.

Regina knew that feeling. The locket had had the same affect. Regina looked around and her eyes landed on a golden goblet. _How do I know who it belonged to?_

She gently picked up the cup and had a flashback to when she was running with the locket.

 _Gigi, get out of there._

Sirius' voice again. This was it. _This is it!_

After quickly slipping the cup into her bag, Regina turned to the goblin.

"That will be all."

"Did you find what you were looking for, Mrs. Tonks?", the goblin asked as she walked past him.

"Unfortunately not", Regina lied. "Thank you so much for letting me look, though."

"Of course, Mrs. Tonks", he nodded. "Although, could you-I would very much appareciate it if you did not tell anyone I allowed this."

"I will tell no one", Regina assured him. "Only if you do not speak of me being here, either."

"It's a deal."

Regina left quickly and apparated back to Grimmauld Place before anyone could see her.

Dumbledore, Sirius, and Remus were waiting for her when she walked in.

"Did you find it?", the Headmaster asked.

"Yes", Regina sighed as she pulled it out of her bag and handed it to him. "Please, take it. It's driving me crazy."

Dumbledore nodded and stood from his place at the kitchen table, observing it. "Thank you for this, Regina. Your contribution will not be forgotten."

Regina wasn't listening. Instead, she was undoing all of the glamor charms they had put on her before she left. Once she was done and Dumbledore was gone, she collapsed into a chair.

"I hate those bloody things", she groaned.

"Why do you have such a strong reaction to them?", Remus asked. "I didn't feel anything."

"This sounds absolutely mad, but I think they _know_ what I'm doing."

"Yes, that does sound mad", Sirius told her. "Are they sentient?"

"No idea. But _ugh._ It's awful."

"Did you have any issues at the bank?", Remus changed the subject.

"The goblin that helped me seemed to believe I was really Andromeda", Regina shrugged. "He said that he probably wasn't allowed to let me inside someone else's vault, but he let me. I just had to promise him I wouldn't tell anyone."

"That's a lot easier than I thought it would be", Sirius remarked. "I thought for sure you'd at least be questioned."

"You doubt my acting skills, Sirius?"

"I just figured the goblins would be able to see through it. I am impressed."

"Well, thank you."

A few silent minutes passed before Regina sighed. "I need to lie down."

"Are you going to sleep?", Sirius asked.

"Hopefully not", she replied as she stood up. "I'll probably be having nightmares for about a week after this. See you both later."

Sirius stared after her, worry in his eyes.

"How are you doing with all this?", Remus asked.

"Alright, I suppose. My sister is alive after I believed her to be dead for sixteen years. She's helping us take down Voldemort. I guess that's the best possible outcome for all of this, right?"

Remus silently squeezed his best friend's shoulder. He didn't have anything to say that could be helpful.

Could _anything_ be helpful right now?


	8. Just Takes Time

**AN: Hey, again! Hope you enjoy this chapter :D**

Sirius didn't see Regina for three days after she returned from Gringotts. He told Kreacher to bring her food, but he didn't actually know if she was eating.

There was no noise coming from her bedroom, either.

On the third day, Sirius decided to go in. What he saw shocked him.

Trays of food that Kreacher had been bringing up there were stacked on her unmade bed. There were clothes-her old clothes that definitely wouldn't fit her anymore-scattered all over the floor.

Regina was nowhere in the messy room.

"KREACHER!", Sirius shouted. The elf appeared in front of him.

"Yes, Master?"

"Where's Regina?"

"Miss Regina told Kreacher not to tell anyone."

"I don't _care_ what she told you!", he yelled back. "Tell me where she went, _now._ "

"Miss Regina went to visit Severus Snape", Kreacher replied slowly. "Miss Regina said she needed to get out of here."

"Why didn't she want me to know?"

"Miss Regina did not tell Kreacher why. Just that Kreacher couldn't tell."

Sirius sighed. At least Regina was alright. But he would definitely be talking to her when she returned.

 _Hogwarts, Snape's Quarters_

"Why are you here, again, Regina?"

"I needed to get out of that bloody place", she sighed as she collapsed into a chair. "The feeling that the Horcruxes give me is worse there. Before you ask, no, I don't know why that would be."

Severus thought for a moment, then spoke, "The Headmaster has successfully destroyed the cup."

"Fantastic", Regina replied sarcastically. "Hopefully the next one won't kill me before I can get it to him."

Severus walked over to her and waved his hand wordlessly.

"What are you doing?"

"Diagnostic spell."

"I was just kidding about it killing me, Severus."

"But you may be right."

Regina's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You think they're actually hurting me?"

"They might be", Snape replied. "Although it would definitely be more psychological than physical damage. What do you feel when you are near one of them?"

Regina thought about it for a bit before answering. "It's...uncomfortable. Nothing hurt when I had the cup. Not like the locket did."

"What do you mean by uncomfortable?"

"I feel off", she replied. "I don't know how to explain it. It feels like the Horcrux was trying to convince me not to take it, not to destroy it. Pushing me away, almost. The closer I got to it, the worse it got."

"What was it doing?", Snape asked, now intrigued.

Regina really didn't want to tell him what she heard when she was near one of those bloody objects. Snape would just sneer and say something about how _touching_ it was that she could hear her brother's voice trying to get her away from it.

"I can hear someone talking", she finally said. "But I think it's just inside my head."

"Do you know who you're hearing? Or do you not recognize the voice?"

"I know who it is", Regina sighed. "It's Sirius, telling me to run. I don't know, maybe it thinks I'll listen to him?"

"The Horcruxes are not sentient, Regina", Severus told her. "They are feeding off of you and your emotions. Despite any history you two may have, do you trust your brother's judgement considering your safety?"

Regina was amazed that Snape didn't take the opportunity to take a jab at Sirius. He usually never passed that up.

"I mean, I guess I do."

"Then it would make sense for you to hear him telling you to stop your mission."

"My _mission_?", Regina repeated. "You sound like Dumbledore."

"Like it or not", Snape said. "You are now part of the Order of the Phoenix. As such, you are on a mission for us. For Dumbledore. You're helping the cause against the Dark Lord."

"I suppose", she said. "I should probably go back to Number 12. Kreacher probably can't keep up the illusion that I'm still there for much longer."

"Why is it that you don't want him to know you're gone? You are an adult, Regina."

"Yes, I am aware of that, Severus." Regina rolled her eyes. "But I knew he wouldn't love the idea of me leaving the house. Especially to come here, regardless of everything you've done for me."

Snape didn't respond as Regina stepped into the fireplace to Floo back to Grimmauld Place.

As soon as she stepped into the sitting room, Sirius walked in.

"Where have you been?", he asked.

"Visiting Severus", Regina replied, brushing soot out of her hair.

"And you couldn't have told me you were going?"

"I didn't think you'd appreciate me leaving to see him."

"I really don't care what you do", her brother said honestly. "I trust that you're smart enough not to be seen anywhere."

"I'll remember that for next time. Kreacher told you, then."

"After I went to check on you. Your room is a disaster, by the way."

Regina snorted as she walked toward the kitchen. "Oh, it's been like that since I got here. I'm assuming it's because Mother didn't take my supposed death very well. I don't know why Kreacher never cleaned it up."

"You could tell him to", Sirius pointed out as he followed her. "Obviously he takes orders from you better than me."

"Honestly, I don't really care about the mess", Regina said. "I don't know if you remember, but that isn't much worse than what it looked like when I was growing up."

It was Sirius' turn to chuckle. "Oh, I remember. That's the only thing I ever heard Mother yell at you for. Even then, I don't think it was directed at you as much as it was at Kreacher for not cleaning fast enough."

"The _only_ thing?", Regina scoffed. "Believe me, she did _not_ approve of my sudden appreciaton of Muggle clothing when I was fifteen."

"You did not wear Muggle clothes."

"Yes, I did! I stopped wearing the heinous floor-length skirts she bought me and wore jeans for a few days one summer. She blamed you for it, too."

"Oh, of course she did. Nothing could _ever_ be Regina's fault, could it?"

Sirius' tone was light, but there was a bit of harshness behind his words that his younger sister didn't miss.

Suddenly somber, Regina quietly told him, "I did miss you when you left, you know. It was hard being the only kid in this bloody house."

"I bet", Sirius said softly. "I thought about you all the time. Worried, more like. I always wanted to write but I didn't know if Mother and Father would let you read my letters. Or if you would have wanted to."

"I'm not sure if I would have", she said. "I was angry at first that you didn't tell me you were going."

"I was worried you were going to tell someone if I did."

"As if they would have listened to me. All I would have gotten was 'that's nice, dear, go finish your schoolwork'. That's all I got no matter what I said. Drove me mad."

The two of them fell into a silence. That was the longest conversation they had had between just them ever since Regina had come back. It was nice, though still a bit uncomfortable if they were honest.

But neither of them could help thinking that maybe, just maybe, things would be alright for them. It would just take time.

 **AN: Ending's a little cheesy, but oh well. Hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	9. Where Are You Going?

**AN: I'm so,** _ **so**_ **sorry about the long wait. School, work, blah blah blah. So, finally, here's a new chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

 _Summer 1976_

Sirius walked slowly through the hallway, grateful that he had thought to put a feather-light charm on his trunk so he could carry it instead of dragging it along behind him.

Sirius jumped a foot in the air when he heard a door open behind him. He turned around sharply and saw his younger sister standing there.

"Bloody hell, Gina", he whispered. "Go back to bed."

"Are you leaving?", Regina asked, her eyes wide. "Where are you going?"

"Go back to bed, Gigi", Sirius repeated, more firm this time. "Don't worry about me."

"Why are you leaving?"

"Why do you think?", he shot back quietly.

"Where are you going to go?", Regina asked, ignoring his last question completely.

Sirius was quickly becoming frustrated. "Don't worry about it. Goodnight, Gigi."

"Sirius-"

" _Goodnight_."

He continued to the kitchen, then out the front door. Regina stared after him, unsure of what to do next. She went back to bed, but she didn't sleep at all.

Regina woke to her mother shrieking about Sirius being gone.

"That _traitor_ thinks he can just _go_? In the middle of night! If he thinks he will still inherit everything, hold the power of our name…"

Regina kept to herself, as she always did. The internal battle she had been having all night getting more and more intense in her mind. Should she tell her parents that she saw Sirius go? That she hadn't been able to talk him out of it?

That she hadn't even _tried_ to talk him out of it?

Regina didn't agree with Sirius on many things, but she completely understood why he would want to leave. Even she knew that their parents' treatment of him was horrible and unfair. Everytime Regina was favored over Sirius-which was quite often-she would catch the look on his face, even for a split second, that he was hurt by it. But it wasn't Regina's fault, was it?

It wasn't her fault that Sirius argued with Orion and Walburga so much. It wasn't her fault that she didn't agree with him.

Regina tuned out her mother's hysterics as she ate breakfast, then excused herself and hurried up to her bedroom to write a letter.

 _Sirius,_

 _Mother's upset that you're gone. Father looked blank (as usual) as she yelled about it. I hope you got to wherever you're going and you're happy there._

 _-Gigi_

 **AN: Hope you enjoy! We'll be back to the main story soon (hopefully). Have a good school year!**


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